Butterflies Part 7
by Kksaunt1
Summary: So Charles is like a bad penny, right everyone? #Hearties I hope u enjoy where I took this one :) hugs


"Oh I'm sorry to interrupt…"

Elizabeth and Jack broke apart, slightly embarrassed but more irritated that Charles chose to interrupt rather than come back later.

With a sigh, Elizabeth said, "Charles. What do you need?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you, privately."

"Go ahead. Jack stays."

"I would rather it be just us."

"Not an option, Charles. You owe both of us an apology so, Jack stays, or you go. Your choice."

"I don't feel I owe anyone an apology. So I guess I will leave."

"Have it your way, but you do at least owe an explanation. You proposed and it almost broke Jack and I apart. Thank goodness we found our way back to each other." She looked over at Jack and smiled. "I know you said Viola made a suggestion and my father didn't help matters but you have your own mind."

"I do have my own mind. I also have my own heart and I had to try, Elizabeth or I knew I would regret it. I needed to know if I had a chance. I loved you, I still love you. You have always been my friend but I have thought very highly of you for years."

"I told you how I felt before I left Hamilton last time. You refused to accept it. But I told you how I felt. You needed to let me go. I didn't feel the same way. I left to go back to Hope Valley, to Jack."

"I am sorry that it turned out the way it did between us. But I am glad I tried, for the record. I needed to show you what your life could be. And what it wouldn't be if you chose him."

"You ruined any chance of keeping our friendship going. I don't expect you to understand this, but love sometimes means letting someone go. You need to let go, Charles. I am with Jack and will always be."

"What do you know about letting someone go? You are with the person you want to be with."

"Now I am. But a few years ago, when we just had started courting, I did have to let him go, when both of us wanted so badly to be together. Jack received new orders in Cape Fullerton. He decided he would stay for me, but I told him he needed to go because it was his dream. It broke my heart but I knew it was best for him."

"I can imagine that was hard. I, however, don't plan on going anywhere. I will always be here, waiting for you to return. And when the Constable here breaks your heart, I will be happy to pick up the pieces."

Jack stepped forward, with anger in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Elizabeth decided to speak for him. "Charles, that is uncalled for and completely inappropriate. Jack will never break my heart and I don't need you in my life anymore! Please leave now." She could feel the tears coming.

Charles scoffed at that and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Jack walked over to Elizabeth and pulled her into his arms. "Are you ok, Honey?"

"I'm not sure. I can't believe he said those horrible things. I'm so sorry Jack," she said as she hugged him back.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. And you were right. I will never break your heart. I love you too much."

The next morning, Elizabeth got up, dressed, and left for the woman's dress shop for her last fitting of her bridesmaid dress for Violas wedding. She still needed to talk to her, but she wanted to avoid another confrontation right now. About an hour later, she left the dress shop to meet Jack for brunch. She sat down at a table in the restaurant where they had agreed to meet. She looked out the window and waited. She didn't notice Jack walk in or sit down. She was in her own little world, thinking about what had happened in the last 24 hours. She lost her oldest friend and found out her sister, Father and he had tried to break up her relationship with Jack.

"Elizabeth? Are you ok?" Jack asked as he put his hand on her arm, scaring her half to death.

"OH my goodness Jack!"

"I'm sorry I scared you. You were off somewhere else."

"Yes, it's been a hard trip so far and I guess I'm a bit sad. I'm glad you are here with me though."

"Have you talked to Viola yet?"

"No, I'm not really looking forward to that conversation. Although I don't think it could go any worse than my talk with Charles."

"This might help make you feel better. I bought you a wedding gift, but I can't wait to give it to you. After we eat, let's take a walk in the park."

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful."

After their brunch, they walked in the park, down by the river that flowed through it. He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"So…you got me a wedding present?"

"I did. I was killing some time in town before we were supposed to meet and I saw it in the window. It reminded me of you as soon as I saw it."

"What is it?"

"Maybe I should just wait to give it to you," he teased.

"Constable!" she said as she plastered on her scary teacher face and voice.

"Ok, I'm just kidding." With a laugh, he pulled out a small box and opened it. A beautiful thin gold band with tiny Sapphires sat in the box. It caught the sunlight just right so that it sparkled.

Elizabeth gasped when she saw it. "It's beautiful, Jack. It's a wedding ring?"

"It is. I thought it would go well with your engagement ring."

"I love it, Jack, but can we afford it?"

"I brought a little extra money with me on the trip to buy a wedding gift for you, so everything is fine. Don't worry. By the way, I love how you said "can WE afford it." I like the way that sounds."

"Well we are in this together. Team Thornton, right? Let's see how it looks."

Jack took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly and showcased her simple diamond engagement ring just right.

"Amazing sweetie. I love it so much. Thank you," she said as she tilted her head up and kissed him.

They started walking again, Elizabeth looking down at her left hand, smiling. Jack looking at his exquisite fiancé looking so happy. It brought tears to his eyes. "Did you get me a wedding gift yet?"

"Yep."

"Any clues as to what it is, or when I might get it?"

"Nope."

"Come on…I bet I can convince you to tell me," Jack said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

"You could try, but I will only tell you if you tell me about our honeymoon."

"I can wait. I'm a patient man."

That night, Elizabeth was thinking about the wonderful time she and Jack had at the park. She went to her dresser and pulled out the ring box with her wedding ring in it. She slipped it on her finger and thought about a month from now when he would put it on her finger and she would never take it off. She couldn't believe how happy Jack made her. Every day she loved him more. "I wonder if he is still up?"

She took a chance and went and knocked quietly at his door. No answer. "Jack? Are you awake?" she whispered. Nothing. She decided to go down to her father's study to read in front of the fire. She walked into the study and Jack was sitting on the couch reading. "Hey, sweetie. May I join you?"

"Sure. What are you doing up?" He patted the cushion next to him, inviting her to sit next to him.

"I was thinking about you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm. I thought that I would give you your wedding present after all."

"You don't have to. I really can wait, if you want me to."

"That's ok. I wanted to tell you something first though."

"Ok."

"One night, after you had recovered from your pneumonia, your Mother and I were chatting at my house. She was telling me about your Father."

"What about him?"

"How he used to bring her back little gifts whenever he came back from an assignment. Not an expensive gift, just something small to remind her that she was loved and that he was thinking about her. She said it meant a lot to her and she still has all of them. She said she pulls them out every once in a while. It makes her feel closer to him."

"I didn't know that he did that," Jack said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"She realized after he had passed away that she wanted to give you and Tom something to remind you of him too, so she saved some things.

"I don't understand what this has to do with my wedding gift."

"She told me that she realized you and I were going to get married pretty much the first time you wrote to her about me. Even in your letter, you sounded like you were in love and she just knew. It was then that she decided what she wanted you to have of your father's." Jack watched as she pulled a small bag from the pocket of her robe. She gave it to him. "Open it," she said with a smile.

Jack opened the bag and found a gold chain with a ring on it. "Is this…?"

She nodded. "Your father's wedding ring. She told me to give it to you when I felt the time was right. I think it's right now."

Jack just sat there. Silently playing with the ring.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry if this made you sad."

"This is perfect, Elizabeth. I..don't know what to say." He looked at her with tears flowing down his face. "Thank you so much." He leaned over, took her in his arms and kissed her with so much emotion and love, it made her cry too. She could feel herself getting caught up in the moment. His kisses were so captivating. She didn't want him to stop but they needed to be careful. So she pulled away, slightly embarrassed and breathless. The butterflies in her stomach were definitely there.

"I'm sorry, Jack. We can't let things get out of hand."

"No don't be sorry. I was there too. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," he said as he dried her tears with his thumbs. "I love you."

"You didn't. I was entirely too comfortable." Elizabeth took the ring off the necklace and slipped it on his left ring finger. "I love you too."

"Your mom said your dad wore it around his neck while he worked so he didn't lose it. I thought that was a great idea so I bought the necklace in case you wanted to do the same thing. We never really discussed whether you wanted to wear a ring, but I thought you would probably like to wear your father's around your neck at least. I thought maybe it might help you feel closer to him, since he can't be there on our wedding day."

"I will happily wear this on my finger and around my neck, just like him." Elizabeth kissed him gently and wrapped her arms around him, so glad he liked her gift.

"You are the most thoughtful, wonderful woman I know. What did I do to deserve you?"

"I'm not sure, Constable, but I must have done the same thing."

"He would have really loved you, you know? I wish you could have met him."

"Yeah? Me too." She was getting sleepy, but she didn't want to leave just yet. She leaned her head on his shoulder and snuggled in close. She stared at their hands. Fingers intertwined. Both wearing the wedding rings that meant so much. "I'm sure I would have loved him too. Your mom said you are like him in a lot of ways."

"I always wanted to be. Maybe that's how all sons feel about their fathers, but that's why I became a Mountie." She lifted her head and kissed his cheek.

"Sweetie?"

"Yes?"

"Is there going to be a fireplace in our new house? I didn't notice it on the plans."

"Two actually. One in the living area and one in our bedroom."

"That's good."

"Why is that good?" he said with a laugh.

"How else are you going to "curl up in front of a warm fire with someone you love" without a fireplace?"

"Elizabeth, how did you…? I thought you were asleep when I said that."

"Not quite. But I knew how you felt about me for sure with that statement."

"You kept that secret for a while. I thought you said it was a bad idea to keep secrets."

"I did. But I'm pretty sure there is a secret or two you are keeping from me. And as long as they are harmless, they probably don't matter."

"What do you mean? What secrets?," he asked a little too innocently.

"I know of two for sure. One, where we are going on our honeymoon."

"What's the second one, Elizabeth?

"Just how long did you have my engagement ring before you actually proposed?"

"Why do you ask that?

"Ned Yost may have mentioned something, last time I was in the mercantile. Something like "Well it's about time he proposed. Thought he might never get around to giving that to you.""

"Ned. He's as bad as the women in town always gossiping."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"How long did you have the ring, Jack?"

"I don't see why that matters."

"Jack. I'm just curious. The secret's out. Just tell me."

"The day Charles came and proposed to you. I was going to propose on our ride that day. I had the ring in my pocket."

"Oh my. Jack, no wonder you were so upset."

"Not that I want to talk about Charles any more today but, I was upset because I thought he had taken you away from me. I didn't want to lose you. I had finally told you that I loved you and here he was, proposing."

"Jack, did you really think I would choose him, this life, over you? I had said I love you, too."

"It was so new. I wanted to think you would choose me, but he represented the life you were accustomed to. More than I could ever give you."

"You must know now, there was never a choice to be made. It was always you."

Jack just sat there, staring into Elizabeth's bright blue eyes. Then he looked back at the fire.

"Jack? You know that, right? Sweetheart? My heart is yours and always will be. I choose you. Please never forget that."

"Ok. I won't forget."

"Good. Now that all your secrets are out, I think I am going to go up to bed."

"Well, there is one more."

"Another one? Hmm. Does it have to do with the founders day backdrop?"

"Huh? You knew? When did you figure it out?"

"Good night Jack. I love you. See you in the morning." She walked up the stairs to her room. Completely happy and content. Feeling loved. At the same time, not looking forward to her conversation with Viola tomorrow.


End file.
